ADD LIB — Brace For (CHR) Impact (September 19, 2017)

Welcome to Add Lib, your Tuesday report on POP! Goes The Charts that’s mad about CHR/Top 40 adds, based on the station data provided by Mediabase 24/7 and Add Board. This week: Imagine Dragons dabble in musical meteorology, while Nick Jonas is found with a sound and Fifth Harmony gives us something to “Like”. A sweet new year is on the way for our Jewish viewers, and I am a part of that, so I think I can line up a sweet recap before the Rosh Hashanah festivities begin. Let’s get going:

LIGHTNING STRIKES “THUNDER”: Weather or not you’re a fan of the latest pop hit by Imagine Dragons, it’s certainly in great shape at the CHR/Top 40 format. As the follow-up to “Believer”, which recently peaked at #3, “Thunder” rolls onto the list at #2 among the Most Added songs this week, scoring 44 stations on impact. It missed the top spot on the report by four adds, giving “Too Good At Goodbyes” from Sam Smith the edge for a second week at #1. “Thunder” sits at #3 on the current Alternative chart and #23 on the most recent Hot AC update, with climbs expected at both formats in the coming weeks.

POP GOES THE PRONOUNS: Are we ready for a grammar lesson? Get out your notebooks, kids. You’ll locate a few potent pop pronouns in the titles of this week’s Most Added songs at Top 40 radio, including “Find You” (#3, 42 stations) by Nick Jonas and Like That” (#4, 37 stations) by Fifth Harmony, both of which had a solid performance on impact. Additionally, “Let Me Go” (#8, 24 stations) by Hailee Steinfeld & Alesso featuring Florida Georgia Line & Watt had a nice second week, following its great impact last week. School’s back in session, and so are the A-list artists and their releases, so make sure to study hard! (Don’t worry about the midterm exam from PGTC; all of you readers out there get a passing grade.)

MOST ADDED — THIS WEEK’S TOP TEN
1. SAM SMITH, “Too Good At Goodbyes” (Capitol)
2. IMAGINE DRAGONS, “Thunder” (KIDinaKORNER/Interscope)
3. NICK JONAS, “Find You” (Island/Republic)
4. FIFTH HARMONY, “He Like That” (Syco/Epic)
5. TAYLOR SWIFT, “…Ready For It?” (Big Machine/Republic)
6. ZAYN featuring SIA, “Dusk Till Dawn” (RCA)
7. CAMILA CABELLO featuring YOUNG THUG, “Havana” (Syco/Epic)
8-T. DUA LIPA, “New Rules” (Warner Bros.)
8-T. HAILEE STEINFELD & ALESSO featuring FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE & WATT, “Let Me Go” (Republic)
10. KELLY CLARKSON, “Love So Soft” (Atlantic/RRP)

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Highlights from Adam’s Top 40: September 17, 2017

The Rainbow shines on.

DEBUTS
40. Grace VanderWaal – Moonlight
39. Magic Giant – Window
36. U2 – You’re The Best Thing About Me | HIGHEST DEBUT

TOP GAINERS
33. Taylor Swift – …Ready For It? (40)
21. Maroon 5 featuring SZA – What Lovers Do (26)
18. Kelly Clarkson – Love So Soft (31) | BIGGEST MOVER
12. Dua Lipa – New Rules (17)

THIS WEEK’S TOP TEN
10. Demi Lovato – Sorry Not Sorry (10) | PEAK: #10
09. Carly Rae Jepsen – Cut To The Feeling (09) | PEAK: #08
08. Arcade Fire – Everything Now (04) | PEAK: #02
07. Niall Horan – Slow Hands (05) | PEAK: #01 for seven weeks
06. Harry Styles – Two Ghosts (08) | PEAK: #06
05. P!nk – What About Us (07) | PEAK: #05
04. George Ezra – Don’t Matter Now (02) | PEAK: #02
03. Taylor Swift – Look What You Made Me Do (06) | PEAK: #03
02. The Script – Rain (03) | PEAK: #02
01. Kesha – Praying (01) | PEAK: #01 for four weeks

Top 10 Next In Line:
1. Paramore – Fake Happy (1)
2. Wrabel – The Village (3)
3. Foster The People – Sit Next To Me (3)
4. Grouplove – Remember That Night (6)
5. BANNERS – Someone To You (4)
6. Neon Trees – Feel Good (7)
7. ZAYN featuring Sia – Dusk Till Dawn (-)
8. Julia Michaels – Worst In Me (-)
9. Nick Jonas – Find You (-)
10. Niall Horan – Too Much To Ask (-)

In The Mix:
Anderson East – All On My Mind
Andreas Moss – Stuck In My Feelings
Astrid S – Think Before I Talk
Bleachers – I Miss Those Days
Thirty Seconds To Mars – Walk On Water

Chart Notes:

• This week’s Highest Debut is by the legendary Irish group that last reached #1 on my chart in 2004, when they spent three weeks at the top with “Vertigo”. U2 is back with “You’re The Best Thing About Me”, making a splash at #36. On December 1, the band is due to release Songs Of Experience, a companion to their 2014 album titled Songs Of Innocence. (No, you’re not going to see it magically appear in your iTunes library, don’t worry.) The single is currently ranking on the Alternative, Hot AC and Triple A radio charts.
• Two other newcomers enter on this week’s chart: trio Magic Giant is new at #39 with “Window”, while former America’s Got Talent winner Grace VanderWaal comes in at #40 with “Moonlight”. The Los Angeles act had a minor entry on the Alternative radio chart earlier this year called “Set On Fire”, while the New York singer/songwriter bubbled under my own list beginning late last year with “I Don’t Know My Name”. Stay tuned to see how they do!

(See my full chart on Crownnote)

ADAM’S TOP 40 FLASHBACK: September 20, 2009

A “Wonderful” look at 2009.

It’s the start of another weekend, which means it’s time for another trip back into the archives on Adam’s Top 40 Flashback! Every Saturday, the day before my latest top 40 goes up for the week, I feature the highlights of a past countdown. They’re all here — the hit songs, the songs that flopped, and the songs that may be a little embarrassing to reflect on.

This week, we stroll back eight years and find out what was topping my chart for the week of September 20, 2009…

Debuts:
40. MARIAH CAREY, “I Want To Know What Love Is”
39. NICKELBACK, “Never Gonna Be Alone”

Biggest Mover(s):
MICHAEL BUBLÉ, “Haven’t Met You Yet” (29-17, twelve spots)

10. KELLY CLARKSON, “Already Gone” (up 4)
Album: All I Ever Wanted (2009, 19/RCA Records)
Peak: #2

09. GREEN DAY, “21 Guns” (down 2)
Album: 21st Century Breakdown (2009, Reprise Records)
Peak: #6 for two weeks

08. UNCLE KRACKER, “Smile” (steady, second week)
Album: Happy Hour (2009, Atlantic Records)
Peak: #7 for four weeks

07. MIKA, “We Are Golden” (up 3)
Album: The Boy Who Knew Too Much (2009, Casablanca/Universal Republic Records)
Peak: #6 for two weeks

06. COLBIE CAILLAT, “Fallin’ For You” (steady, second week)
Album: Breakthrough (2009, Universal Republic Records)
Peak: #3 for three weeks

05. BOYS LIKE GIRLS, “Love Drunk” (down 2)
Album: Love Drunk (2009, Columbia Records)
Peak: #3 for three weeks

04. DAUGHTRY, “No Surprise” (down 3)
Album: Leave This Town (2009, RCA Records)
Peak: #1 for two weeks

03. TAYLOR SWIFT, “You Belong With Me” (down 1)
Album: Fearless (2008, Big Machine/Universal Republic Records)
Peak: #1 for two weeks

02. FIVE FOR FIGHTING, “Chances” (up 3)
Album: Slice (2009, Aware/Columbia Records)
Peak: #1 for two weeks

01. GARY GO, “Wonderful” (up 3)
Album: Gary Go (2008, Decca Records)
Peak: #1 for three weeks

Check back next Saturday for another Adam’s Top 40 Flashback countdown and don’t forget to follow the blog by using the tab below or find PGTC on social media by clicking the “Get Social!” tab at the top of the page.

ADD LIB — Brace For (CHR) Impact (September 12, 2017)

Welcome to Add Lib, your Tuesday report on POP! Goes The Charts that’s mad about CHR/Top 40 adds, based on the station data provided by Mediabase 24/7 and Add Board. This week: Sam Smith is more than “Good”, while Kelly Clarkson‘s “Love” has its chartbeat pumping! Plus, Taylor Swift is “Ready” for another big radio hit, Hailee Steinfeld and friends “Go” the distance, and much more. Turn up the pop power and get listening to these hits:

“GOOD” GOES FOR EXCELLENT: After receiving hourly airplay at iHeartMedia stations last Friday, Sam Smith hits the top of this week’s Most Added report with “Too Good At Goodbyes”, which begins at 127 stations. The track recently became his eighth top 40 hit at the format, following four main-credited singles, two collaborations with Disclosure and one with Naughty Boy. A new album from Smith is due later this year, which should be a super stocking stuffer for the kids… at least, those kids in need of a good cry after a failed relationship. At this rate, the single is likely to become his fifth top ten hit on the pop chart quickly, as it also makes some nice moves toward the top ten on the AC and Hot AC (and even Urban AC) charts.

THREE’S COMPANY: Three words can say a whole lot, and in the case of this week’s adds report, they can take up a lot of space in the titles toward the top of the list. With so many singles impacting at the format this Tuesday, it’s certainly not a surprise to see “Love So Soft” (#2, 73 stations) by Kelly Clarkson, “…Ready For It?” (#3, 57 stations) by Taylor Swift and “Let Me Go” (#4, 46 stations) by Hailee Steinfeld & Alesso featuring Florida Georgia Line & Watt getting the panel’s support. Rounding out the top five, “What Lovers Do” (#5, 20 adds) by Maroon 5 featuring SZA is also holding strong after a massive debut last week. How will they all do in the long run? We’re expecting big things this fall, so stay tuned!

MOST ADDED — THIS WEEK’S TOP TEN
1. SAM SMITH, “Too Good At Goodbyes” (Capitol)
2. KELLY CLARKSON, “Love So Soft” (Atlantic/RRP)
3. TAYLOR SWIFT, “…Ready For It?” (Big Machine/Republic)
4. HAILEE STEINFELD & ALESSO featuring FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE & WATT, “Let Me Go” (Republic)
5. MAROON 5 featuring SZA, “What Lovers Do” (222/Interscope)
6. DUA LIPA, “New Rules” (Warner Bros.)
7. BLACKBEAR, “Do Re Mi” (Beartrap/Alamo/Interscope)
8. CAMILA CABELLO featuring YOUNG THUG, “Havana” (Syco/Epic)
9-T. HALSEY, “Bad At Love” (Astralwerks/Capitol)
9-T. LOGIC featuring ALESSIA CARA & KHALID, “1-800-273-8255” (Def Jam)

Check out our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages for more adds coverage and commentary.

RADIO ACTIVE — A Weekly Chart CHRonicle (September 10, 2017)

Welcome to Radio Active, a Sunday evening report from POP! Goes The Charts that gets to the chart of the matter: all the highlights from the CHR/Top 40 chart, as published by Mediabase 24/7 and Mediabase Research. Between Harvey and Irma and all the other bad events as of late, it would be nice to have some positive news for once. Still, we’re thinking of those affected by the storms. Now, here’s a look what’s pouring down in the pop world:

PUTH OF THE NATION: The Top 40 airwaves are still attentive this week, as “Attention” by Charlie Puth holds onto #1 for the third week. It’s down in airplay for the first time during its chart run, but the loss is fairly small. In addition to the version that radio knows and loves, a dance mix by David Guetta and a new version featuring KYLE were released at the end of August. There is not much movement on the other formats, but it does rank at #3 on Hot AC, #12 on Rhythmic, #14 on AC and #36 on the Dance chart.

Puth’s biggest competition, at this point, comes from two of the One Direction guys: Niall Horan climbs from 4-3 this week with “Slow Hands”, and Liam Payne holds at #6 for the second week with the Quavo-assisted “Strip That Down”. Both tracks continue to gain well, with “Slow” up 1,200 spins over last week, and “Strip” up just under 1,000 spins. As Taylor Swift (see below) soars up the chart and into the mix as well, will she rain on this pop parade? Can Horan and Payne sneak in some time at the top? We’ll see.

“READY” FOR A “GOOD” RUN: Entering the top 40 on at least four different formats this week, “Too Good At Goodbyes” takes over the #34 spot on the CHR/Top 40 chart, marking the eighth top 40 release for Sam Smith. He has four top ten entries to date, two main-credited and two featured appearances, with “Stay With Me” (#1, 8/17-24/14 MB) remaining his only chart-topper. As for the other charts, you’ll find “Good” at #23 on AC, #27 on Hot AC and #33 on Urban AC, and that multi-format launch propelled the song to #1 on iTunes during its opening day. It remains the top-selling single in over a dozen countries. Will the one-time Best New Artist winner be adding to his Grammy shelf early next year? It’s certainly a possibility.

Though she’s up from 9-7 this week with “Look What You Made Me Do”, Taylor Swift is definitely ready for more, entering at #39 with the second radio single from her forthcoming album reputation, due November 10. “…Ready For It?” was released last Sunday, following a teaser that aired during college football programming on September 2. Just over a week later, both singles occupy two of the top three spots on iTunes. “Ready” is Swift’s 27th top 40 title at the format, and the total will surely be growing again soon.

“NOW” IS THE TIME: With her follow-up to “Malibu”, Miley Cyrus is back on the Top 40 airwaves with “Younger Now”, which comes in at #49 this week. “Younger” got a small head start on the Hot AC chart, where it’s up 48-44 in its third week on. This is the title track from her forthcoming sixth studio album, due September 29. Both sales and streaming numbers on her current single are slower than the statistics on her previous one, but it still has a bit of time to grow. (The album should still be in the running for #1.)

Finally, at #50, Camila Cabello scores her fourth chart hit outside of Fifth Harmony with “Havana”, featuring Young Thug. In early August, Cabello released this track with another stand-alone release, the Quavo-assisted “OMG”. However, it’s “Havana” with the momentum at the larger streaming services, as it remains in the top ten on Spotify’s Global Top 50. The 20-year-old singer joins artists like Gloria Estefan, Mellow Man Ace, Jon Secada and more as another of the Cuban-born performers to score a top 40 single at the format, having accumulated three solo hits in the last two years. (Cabello is originally from the small town of Cojimar.)

Check out our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages for more chart coverage and commentary.

Highlights from Adam’s Top 40: September 10, 2017

Livin’ on a prayer…

DEBUTS
40. Taylor Swift – …Ready For It?
31. Kelly Clarkson – Love So Soft | HIGHEST DEBUT

TOP GAINERS
26. Maroon 5 featuring SZA – What Lovers Do (34) | BIGGEST MOVER
22. Phillip Phillips – Miles (28)
17. Dua Lipa – New Rules (22)
06. Taylor Swift – Look What You Made Me Do (13)

THIS WEEK’S TOP TEN
10. Demi Lovato – Sorry Not Sorry (11) | PEAK: #10
09. Carly Rae Jepsen – Cut To The Feeling (08) | PEAK: #08
08. Harry Styles – Two Ghosts (06) | PEAK: #06
07. P!nk – What About Us (10) | PEAK: #07
06. Taylor Swift – Look What You Made Me Do (13) | PEAK: #06
05. Niall Horan – Slow Hands (03) | PEAK: #01 for seven weeks
04. Arcade Fire – Everything Now (04) | PEAK: #02
03. The Script – Rain (05) | PEAK: #03
02. George Ezra – Don’t Matter Now (02) | PEAK: #02
01. Kesha – Praying (01) | PEAK: #01 for three weeks

Top 10 Next In Line:
1. Paramore – Fake Happy (2)
2. Foster The People – Sit Next To Me (1)
3. Wrabel – The Village (3)
4. BANNERS – Someone To You (4)
5. Magic Giant – Window (7)
6. Grouplove – Remember That Night (6)
7. Neon Trees – Feel Good (5)
8. Grace VanderWaal – Moonlight (9)
9. U2 – You’re The Best Thing About Me (-)
10. Astrid S – Think Before I Talk (-)

In The Mix:
Anderson East – All On My Mind
Andreas Moss – Stuck In My Feelings
Bleachers – I Miss Those Days (new)
Jessie Ware – Midnight
Thirty Seconds To Mars – Walk On Water
ZAYN featuring Sia – Dusk Till Dawn (new)

Chart Notes:

• This week’s Highest Debut marks the return of Kelly Clarkson, who was actually in my top ten at the top of the year with a song from The Hamilton Mixtape, “It’s Quiet Uptown”, which peaked at #6. She enters at #31 with “Love So Soft”, which serves as the lead single from her forthcoming album Meaning Of Life, due October 27. (Another tune from the set, “Move You”, was released with “Love” as a part of a pre-order package on Thursday.) Clarkson has three #1 songs to date, her last coming in 2011 with “Don’t You Wanna Stay”, a collaboration with Jason Aldean.
• As Taylor Swift rises from 13-6 with “Look What You Made Me Do”, the current #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100, a new track from reputation is now on my chart. “…Ready For It?” was released last Sunday, picking up Top 40 and Hot AC adds almost immediately, and it starts at #40 this week. Will “Look” hit the top soon, with “Ready” following close behind? Stay tuned!

(See my full chart on Crownnote)

RADIO ACTIVE — A Weekly Chart CHRonicle (September 3, 2017)

Welcome to Radio Active, a Sunday evening report from POP! Goes The Charts that gets to the chart of the matter: all the highlights from the CHR/Top 40 chart, as published by Mediabase 24/7 and Mediabase Research. The long Labor Day weekend has us chilling by the pool or at the beach, as the unofficial end of summer begins. Now, here are some cold hard stats from the Top 40 chart:

GOOD TIME CHARLIE’S GOT THE SPINS: After reaching #1 in its 18th week in the pop top 40, “Attention” by Charlie Puth is at the top once again. The slow burner is the first single from his upcoming album VoiceNotes, which is due later this year. The hit is up less than 100 spins from last week, and could shed some play as stations return from their specialty holiday programming. The song also ranks at #3 on Hot AC, #13 on Rhythmic, #15 on AC and #35 on the Dance chart. Puth remains a sizable distance ahead of his nearest competitor, so a third week at #1 is likely next week.

Taylor Swift makes a big leap from 22-9 with “Look What You Made Me Do”, the lead single from Reputation. Earlier this week, it became the first song in the plays-per-week era to have a five-digit bullet on the rolling chart at the format. Two of her previous hits, 1989‘s “Shake It Off” and “Bad Blood”, both climbed to #10 (“Shake” up 15-10 and “Bad” up 14-10) in their second chart weeks. How quickly will “Look” rise to the top? Will it even hit the top, now that instant grat “…Ready For It?” is sitting pretty at #1 on iTunes? A lot can change in the next few weeks, so stay tuned!

“DO” I DUE: When you’ve had two dozen top 40 hits like Maroon 5, you’re bound to have a big entry on the chart. Their 24th hit, titled “What Lovers Do”, breaks into the countdown at #27. The single features SZA, who hasn’t hit the pop survey before, but has a top five hit on both the Rhythmic and Urban charts with the Travis Scott-assisted “Love Galore”. (Just in case you’re wondering, it ranks in the top 70 here, so it would take some key adds and conversions to reach the top 50.) Originally a quintet, the California act is now a septet, up one member from their previous single, the Future-assisted #8 hit “Cold”. We’ll update you if they reach nine or ten members, or perhaps even more, by the time their new album is released.

Newcomer Blackbear also shows off what he can do (or rather, “doh”) with this week’s #48 entry, “Do Re Mi”. The musician hasn’t made charted at the pop format as an artist, but he’s produced or written a couple of top 40 singles here, including Justin Bieber‘s #9 hit from 2012, “Boyfriend”. If you thought this bear was in hibernation, think again; both his set, digital druglord, and the debut self-titled effort by Mansionz (his duo with “I Took A Pill In Ibiza” hitmaker Mike Posner) are winners in the streaming world.

PLAY YOUR CARDI RIGHT: In our latest pack of pop playing cards, Cardi B is certainly a queen. Her viral hit, “Bodak Yellow”, is the new #1 on the Urban chart this week, and it also debuts at #47 on the CHR/Top 40 chart. This is her first charting single here. The performer, born Belcalis Almanzar, previously appeared on VH1’s Love & Hip Hop: New York. “Bodak” also jumps to #7 on the Rhythmic chart. The song is likely to continue to spread, but don’t expect it in heavy rotation on Country radio anytime soon.

The lone #1 hit to include the color yellow somewhere its title during the Radio & Records/Mediabase era is 1973’s “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” by Elton John, which spent three weeks at the top spot in November and December. That spring, before the launch of R&R, “Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Ole Oak Tree” held for four weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 for Tony Orlando & Dawn.

Check out our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages for more chart coverage and commentary.